Weft pirn supply mechanism



Oct. 25, 1960 E BAUMANN WEFT PIRN SUPPLY MECHANISM 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed sept. 5, 1958 Fig. l

INVENTOR. 7V/4 .B/uM/V/V BY Oct. 25, 1960 E. BAUMANN wEFT PIRN SUPPLY MECHANISM 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed sept. 5, 1958 v Oct. 25, 1960 E. BAUMANN wEFT PIRN SUPPLY MECHANISM 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Sept. 5, 1958 Oct. 25, 1960 E. BAUMANN WEFT PIRN SUPPLY MECHANISM 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Sept. 5, 1958 Unite States Patent() 2,957,497 WEFT PIRN SUPPLY MECHANISM Emil Baumann, Schaffhausen, Switzerland, assignor to Georg Fischer Aktiengesellschaft, Schaffhausen, Switzerland, a company of Switzerland Y Filed Sept. 5, 1958, Ser. No. 759,303 Claims priority, application Switzerland Sept. 9, 1957 Claims. (Cl. 139-245) The present invention relates to automatic weft pirn changing devices in Weaving looms and more particularly to a weft pirn supply mechanism for such automatic weft pirn changing devices.

Great efforts are made in weaving to load the loom with a maximum number of supply pirns in order to ensure rational operation of the loom and to save labour.

Various devices are known in which weft pirns are individually supplied to a pirn changing device from a container or magazine provided with partition walls. With such devices the pirns may slide into the changing device from the container or magazine compartment under their own weight or they may be fed to the pirn hammer by means of displaceable sliding chambers or the like into which the pirns drop from the stationary magazine. f

In a further conventional type of such a device a sliding magazine is provided from which the pirns are engaged and removed by means of swivelling arms, the latter being driven so as to insert the pirns into a duct. From this duct, the pirns are driven into the shuttle.

All these devices are capable of holding only a limited number of weft pirns in their containers or magazines. Therefore it has been proposed to keep in readiness in a container a large number of weft pirns for the pirn changing device. To this end, a supply device has been constructed which supplies a conventional pirn drum with pirns from a container equipped with a multitude of compartments. A transfer mechanism pushes the pirns into the pirn drum from the compartments of the container.

Further proposals have been made to displace a pirn container having co-mpartments above a chute in a manner so that the pirns held in the compartments can drop into the chute, the latter feeding a pirn changing device.

The pirn containers provided with compartments are very complicated in design and moreover very costly. The pirns must be placed into the compartments either by hand or by means of auxiliary mechanical devices provided in the pirn Winder. For this reason, devices have been proposed which keep in readiness for changing a multitude of weft pirns in a container provided on the loom which is equipped neither with partitions nor compartments. Under their own weight, the pirns drop into a chute from the container and are supplied to the pirn changing station. Although the containers are provided with a stationary stop or pirn separating key, or with movable retaining means at the outlet opening, pirns caused by the pressure of the supply of full'pirns may often occur and will prevent continuous rational operation of the loom. i

It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide for the improved storage and feeding of weft pirns to a loom.

A further object of the present invention is the provision of means facilitating the discharge of stored weft pirns to a weaving loom. Y

Another object of the present invention is to provide means which will permit storing of a large pirn supply in a simple and reliable manner and will avoid uneconomical operation of weavinglooms. l

Still a further object of the present invention is the projamming of vision of simple and reliable means for permitting automatic discharge of weft pirns from a large storage space to .a feedchute leading to a pirn changing station in a loom.

These and other objects of the present invention will become more clearly apparent from the following description when taken in connection with the appended drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a vertical sectional view of a pirn supply mechanism in accordance with the invention attached to a weaving loom;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the mechanism shown in Fig. l, the supply mechanism being shown in inoperative position;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged partial sectional view of the supply mechanism of Fig. l in operative position as taken along line IlI-III in Fig. 4;

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken along line IV-IV in Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 represents partly in section a view in the direction of arrow V in Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a sectional detail view taken along line VI-VI in Fig. 7 of a modification of a pirn feeler device and the closure of the outlet pasasge;

Fig. 7 is a sectional detail VII-VII in Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a vertical sectional VIII- VIII in Fig. 7.

Referring now to the drawing, Fig. l shows a loom frame 1 of a conventional weaving loom. A support bracket 2 is attached to the frame 1 by means of bolts. Rotatably arranged in a bore in the bracket 2 is a horizontally extending shaft 3. A hand lever 10 is rigidly connected with the shaft 3 and two brackets 4 are iirmly attached to the latter for rotation therewih. The brackets 4 are connected with and carry a supporting member 5. A housing 6 has two sides thereof seated on the supporting member 5, and is provided with an open third side facing upward. In the edge of the housing 6 opposite the supporting member 5 a further opening 8 is provided (Figs. 1 and 2). A chute comprising two U-shaped rails 2t) and Z1 (Fig. 4) is attached to the loom frame 1 (in a manner not shown) and extends beneath the opening 8 in the housing 6. Inserted into the housing 6ffrom above is a pirn container 15. The pirn container 15 is shorter than the housing 6, so that a space is formed between the housing wall 16 and the open top 50 of the container 15, the space being large enough for a weft pirn to fall freely through the passage 17 formed between the lower edge of wall 16 and the corresponding top edge of the container. tirely without partitions. It can be winders of conventional construction.

A retaining rod or member 12 is pivotally connected to the housing 6 (Figs. 2, 4 and 5) by means of swivel arms 13 seated on pins 11 mounted on the housing. A tension spring 14 has one end attached to the housing 6 and its other end to one of the swivel arms 13. .Arranged on one of the swivel arms 13 is a finger 18 which engages a stop 19 rigidly attached to the chute, i.e. to the rail 20 when in operative position (position indicated in full lines in Fig. l). This causes the retaining rod 12 to be swivelled away from the vicinity of the passage 17 as seen in Fig. 2. When the container is swivelled towards the right into inoperative position (position indicated in dot-dash lines in Fig. l), the tension spring 14 causes the retaining rod the passage 17 until the ranged on the housing 6.

Below the having `an upwardly projecting nose portion 37 and forming displacing means is slidably arranged intermediate view taken `along line loaded by weft pirn finger 18 engages a pin 51 arview taken along line The pirn container 15 is formed e11-Y 12 to be swivelled in front ofY passage 17, a trough-type lifting member 22 the rails 20 and 21 so that it may be raised and lowered. The lifting member 22 is connected with a piston 23 slidably guided in a cylinder 24 attached to the loom frame 1 by means of a bracket 38. Attached to a bar 25 which is mounted to the lower end of cylinder 24 are two tension springs 26 with their lower ends attached to bar 25 while their upper ends are held in lugs 27 provided on the lifting member 22. The springs 26 tend to pull the lift'- ing member and consequently the piston 23 into the cylinder 24. A pressure medium line 43 connected to a source of pressure, not shown, leads into the cylinder 24. A guide plate 28 secured to the lifting member 22 serves as a bearing for a latch 29 which is swivellable about a pivot 34 arranged in a slot 33 of the guide plate. Arranged on the guide plate 28 is a bracket 30 having a pin 31. A tension spring 32 is connected at one end with the latch 29 and at the other with the pin 31. The latch 29 is equipped with an arm 35. A feeler 36 loosely rests on the arm 35 and is guided in the lifting member 22 from which it projects upwardly to a short extent into the trough-type recess formed by the lifting member. Attached to the loom frame 1 and the bracket 38 respectively is a rack 39 of which the teeth 40 are engaged by the latch 29.

Figs. 6 through 8 show a modification of some details in the pirn supply mechanism. In this modification the retaining rod 12 is replaced by a displaceable retaining bar 46. Provided in the housing 6 are slots 47 which slidably guide the said retaining bar 46 at the ends thereof. Sliding in a cylinder 52, attached to the housing is a bush 53 which is forced against the retaining bar 46 by means of a spring 48, the retaining bar thus being placed in front of the passage 17. A key 49 is attached to the loom frame 1 and co-operates with the retaining bar 46 when the housing 6 is swivelled into operative position to thereby move the retaining bar into retracted position as shown in Fig. 8.

The latch 29 and the rack 39 of the previously described embodiment are replaced by a valve 44 in the' modification according to Figs. 6 through 8, the valve 44 being arranged in the line 43.

The feeler 36 actuates the valve 44. The piston return in cylinder 24 is performed by a compression spring 45 arranged within the cylinder 24.

The operation of the pirn supply device is described below assuming that the chute and the pirn container or the housing contain no pirns and thatV the housing is in operative position.

Using the hand lever (Fig. 1), the housing 6 is swivelled into the inoperative position indicated by dotdash lines. A container filled with pirns 41 is then inserted into the housing 6 in such a manner that the open side 50 of the pirn container 15 faces upward. The openings 8 and 17 respectively are closed, when the housing is in its inoperative position by the retaining rod 12 which is pulled in front of the opening 17 by means of the spring 14 far enough for the linger 18 of the swivel arm 13 to engage pin 51.

When the container has been inserted into the housing 6 the hand lever 10 is thrown to the left, which causes the housing and the pirn container 15 to move in the same direction into operative position. The pirns 41 will then roll towards the passage 17 and will be retained by the retaining rod 12 until the finger 18 engages stop 19 and the swivel arm 13 is pivoted from the position indicated in dot-dash lines (Fig. 2) in the counterclockwise direction. The retaining rod 12 clears the passage and the nearest pirns 41 will fall into the chute. This is the final stage of the actual supply of pirns to a chute. In the majority of cases the lowermost pirns will jam owing to the pressure of the pirn supply, and a situation as that shown in Fig. 2 is created. The pirns 41a, 41b and 41C will prevent each other from passing through opening 17.

In the present embodiment. means (not shown) are provided which open a control valve which passes a pressure medium from a suitable source to the lower side of the piston 23 via line 43. The piston 23 and the lifting member 22 attached thereto will consequently slide through the passage 17 and into the housing 6 in upward direction between the rails 20 and. 21. The tension springs 26 are extended. Due to the rising movement of lifting member 22 the pirns 41b and 41c (Figs. 2 and 3) are pushed aside by the nose 37 thereof so that the pirn 41a will be released and' free to drop into the troughtype recess of the lifting member 22 (Fig. 3). The feeler 36 is forced downward by the weight of the pirn 41a and in turn actuates the latch 29 which turns in the clockwise direction (Fig. 5) until it engages a tooth 40 of the rack 39. The lifting movement of the lifting member 22 is thereby stopped.

In the further operation of the control actuated by the pirn changing process, the supply of pressure medium to the cylinder 24 is stopped and the lifting member 22 returned to its initial position by means of the tension springs 26. The pirn 41a released by the lifting member 22 resting in the recess is lowered and placed in the rails 20 and 21 of the feed chute.

The pressure media used in the control of the piston 23 may be air, water or oil.

The lifting motion of the lifting member 22 is limited in the manner shown in Figs. 6 through 8. The operation is as follows:

When the feeler 36 is depressed by a pirn during the rising movement of the lifting member, the supply of pressure medium to the cylinder is stopped by means of the Valve 44 and the lifting member prevented from continuing its upward movement. The lifting member 22 is returned into its initial position in the manner described above.

The device closing the passage 17 according to Figs. 6 through 8 operates as follows:

When the housing 6 is swivelled into inoperative position (Fig. l, dot-dash lines), the springs 48 exert pressure, via the bush 53, on the retaining bar 46 which slides in front of the passage 17. When the housing 6 is swivelled into operative position, the key 49 forces the retaining bar 46 away from the opening 17 and thus opens the way for the passage of the pirns 41 out of the container.

The pirn container 15 shown in the figures could also be dispensed with, the pirns being then placed in the housing 6 direct by tilting pirn containers. Also the housing 6 could be arranged detachably, or the removable pirn container 15 could be designed so that it would also serve as a housing having a passage.

The entire mechanism could be automatized to the extent that the swivelling motions in either direction are performed by mechanical means. Insertion of the pirn containers into the housing could also be performed by a roller conveyor, the empty pirn container being removed by a mechanical gripping device. This would enable a larger number of pirn containers to be placed in readiness which would hold so many pirns that the loom could operate during. a still longer period.

The lifting member 22 could move into the housing 6 not through the passage 17 through which the pirns 41 drop but through a separate opening. It would be possible to arrange the said opening directly adjacent the passage 17 so that a space would be formed between the housing wall 16 and the lifting member 22 from which the pirns could drop into the chute. It would also` be possible to move the lifting member into the housing in the horizontal direction.

The essential advantage of the mechanism according to this invention resides in the fact that the lifting member can release any possible jamming in the pirn container caused by the pressure of the pirn supply so that the pirns can be transferred into a chute from a pirn container free from any partition walls.

Various other changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention and it is intended that such obvious changes and modifications be embraced by the annexed claims.

Having thus 4described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is:

1 A weft pirn supply mechanism for weaving looms comprising a weft pirn housing forming in its interior an uninterrupted supply storage space and having a downwardly directed outlet opening communicating with said storage space and permitting passage of weft pirns therethrough, a weft pirn feed chute extending below said outlet opening to receive weft pirns passing therethrough and for feeding weft pirns to said loom, displacing means slidably arranged adjacent said housing and adapted for movement from a retracted position outside of said housing into an extended position inside said housing and adjacent said outlet opening thereof, and means for moving said displacing means between said extended position and said retracted position, said displacing means when moving inside said housing serving to engage weft pirns stored therein and to displace said weft pirns toward said outlet opening to thereby permit passage of said weft pirns therethrough and into said chute, said housing being arranged for swivelling movement from an operative position adjacent said chute to an inoperative position removed therefrom.

2. A mechanism according to claim l wherein a pirn container is removably inserted in said housing.

3. A mechanism according to claim l wherein a retaining member is provided on said housing for movement between a closin-g position in front of said opening and a position removed from said opening to clear the latter and wherein a stop is rigidly connected with said chute and adapted to `co-operate with said retaining member in said operative position of said housing to maintain said retaining member in said removed position and to permit closing of said opening when said housing is moved to inoperative position.

4. A weft pirn supply mechanism for weaving looms `comprising a weft pirn housing forming in its interior an uninterrupted supply storage space and having a downwardly directed outlet opening communicating with said storage space and permitting passage of weft pirns therethrough, a weft pirn feed chute extending below said outlet opening to receive weft pirns passing therethrough and for feeding weft pirns to said loom, displacing means slidably arranged adjacent said housing and adapted for movement from a retracted position outside of said housing into an extended position inside said housing and adjacent said outlet opening thereof, and means for moving said displacing means between said extended position and said retracted position, said displacing means when moving inside said housing serving to engage weft pirns stored therein and to displace said weft pirns toward said outlet opening to thereby permit passage of said weft pirns therethrough and into said chute, said moving means being formed by a piston which is slidably arranged in a cylinder supported on said loom, said piston being connected to said displacing means.

5. A mechanism according to claim 4 wherein said displacing means is formed by a trough shaped lifting member having an upwardly projecting -nose portion.

6. A mechanism according to claim 5 wherein said lifting member is provided with a feeler slidably arranged relative thereto and displaceable by the action of said weft pirns in said housing said feeler co-operating with a latch for controlling said movement of said lifting member.

7. A mechanism according to claim 6 wherein a rack supported by said loom extends parallel to said lifting member to be engaged by said latch upon actuation of said feeler.

8. A weft pirn supply mechanism for weaving looms comprising a weft pirn housing forming in lits interior an uninterrupted supply storage space and having a downwardly directed outlet opening communicating with said storage space and permitting passage of weft pirns therethrough, a downwardly inclined weft pirn feed chute extending below said outlet opening to receive weft pirns passing therethrough and for feeding weft pirns to said loom, displacing means slidably arranged adjacent said housing and adapted for movement from a retracted position outside of said housing into an extended position inside said housing and adjacent said outlet opening thereof, means for moving said displacing means between said extended position and said retracted position, said displacing means when moving inside said housing serving to engage weft pirns stored therein and to displace said weft pirns toward said outlet opening and means for interrupting said movement of said displacing means when engaging a weft pirn and including feeler means to thereby permit passage of said weft pirns through said opening and into said chute.

9. A weft pirn supply mechanism for an automatic pirn changing apparatus of a weaving loom comprising a weft pirn housing forming in its interior an uninterrupted supply storage space and having a downwardly directed outlet opening communicating with said storage space and permitting passage of weft pirns therethrough, a downwardly inclined weft pirn feed chute extending below said outlet opening to receive weft pirns passing therethrough and for feeding said weft pirns to said pirn changing apparatus displacing means slidably arranged adjacent and below said outlet opening and adapted for movement from a retracted position outside of said housing through said outlet opening into an extended position inside said storage space in said housing, means for moving said displacing means between said extended position and said retracted position and including a piston and a cylinder and source of pressure medium connected to the latter, control means intermediate said source and said cylinder for controlling said movement of said displacing means, and weft pirn feeler means movable with said displacing means and co-operating with said control means for actuating the latter upon engagement of a weft pirn by said displacing means, whereby said displacing means will be moved to said retracted posit-ion outside of said housing with said weft pirn engaged thereby to position the latter on said chute.

10. A weft pirn supply mechanism for weaving looms comprising a weft pirn housing forming in its interior an uninterrupted supply storage space and having a downwardly directed outlet opening communicating with said storage space and permitting passage of weft pirns therethrough, a downwardly inclined weft pirn feed chute extending below said outlet opening to receive weft pirns passing therethrough and for feeding weft pirns to said loom, displacing means slidably arranged adjacent said housing and adapted for movement from a retracted position outside of said housing into an extended position inside said housing and adjacent said outlet opening thereof, means for moving said displacing means between said extended position and said retracted position, said displacing means when moving inside said housing serving to engage weft pirns stored therein and to displace said weft pirns toward said outlet opening to thereby permit passage of said weft pirns therethrough and into said chute, and operable closing means secured to said housing and adapted when operated to close said outlet opening to prevent further passage of weft pirns through said opening.

References Cited in the iile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 790,430 Haworth May 23, 1905 930,812 Southwick Aug. 10, 1909 1,241,388 Imbert Sept. 25, 1917 2,189,641 Slezak Feb. 6, 1940 2,778,382 Banks Jan. 22, 1957 

